Bessemer Venture Partners

Introducing STRIVE, our holistic wellness program designed for high-performance leadership: bvp.com/strive Building and scaling a business is an endurance sport. ??♀? A CEO's health and well-being directly impacts their business outcomes and shapes their company's culture. The strongest companies are led by leaders who prioritize their physical and mental performance. At Bessemer, we're committed to supporting entrepreneurs who want to perform at their best. #STRIVE

Interviewing Duncan Clark was the highlight of my Slush experience last week. They've built an amazing company and we at Bessemer Venture Partners are thrilled to be investors. I also can't help but reiterate how impressed I am by their metrics - 220 million MAUs in 195 countries; $2.5bn in ARR (+44% YoY) and FCF positive. You don't see many Rule of 40 companies at this revenue scale that have had so much success globally.

???????????????? ???? ???? ?????????????????? ???????????? ????????????????????, ?????????????????? ?????? ???????????????? ????????????, ?????? ?????????????????????? ?????? ???? ????????. ?? Our team at Bessemer Venture Partners shares their latest research in our Vertical AI series. ?????? ???????? ?? ?????? ???????? ???? ???????? ?????? ?????????????????? ???? ?????? ???? ?????????????? >>> https://www.bvp.com/ai But here, we have an early conversation with Caty Rea, Brian Feinstein, and Kent Bennett about the massive potential of Vertical AI. ? They discuss how Vertical AI unlocks new revenue opportunities in traditional vertical markets by addressing service-based workflows previously not covered by core software systems. By productizing services through AI, companies can achieve pricing power comparable to core software systems, effectively doubling the total addressable market (TAM) in these verticals. ? ???? ??????'???? ?????? ???? ???????????????? ????, ????????’?? ?? ?????????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ????'?? ?? ????????-?????????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ????????????????????: ?? ?????????????????????????? ???????????? ??????????????????: Unlike legacy vertical SaaS, Vertical AI can tackle high-cost, repetitive tasks that were previously out of reach, especially in sectors like legal, healthcare, and finance. Early signals indicate this category could unlock ???????? ?????? ???????????? than before. ?? ???????????????????? ???????????????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ????????????????: Voice AI is moving beyond simple transcription. Speech-native models now enable real-time conversational agents that can handle customer inquiries, book appointments, and close sales leads. Vision AI is revolutionizing tasks like data extraction, design automation, and video analytics —opening up new use cases in construction, manufacturing, and logistics. ?? ???? ???????????? ???????? ???????????? ??????????????????????: These advanced tools are already negotiating deals, automating outreach, and even investigating cybersecurity threats. By combining reasoning-focused architectures and multi-modality, they’re unlocking workflows once thought too complex for automation. ?????? ???????? ???? ???????? ?????? ??????????????????. Early Vertical AI companies are scaling at breakneck speed, with some achieving ??????% ?????? ???????????? and ????%+ ???? ?????????????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????? within a few years of founding. ?? We predict the first Vertical AI IPOs are just a few years away. ?? Check out our in-depth series exploring the trends, technologies, and business models driving this shift — links in the comments. And if you're building a Vertical AI startup, say hello! ??

?????????????? ???????????????? — ????’?? ???????? ???? ?????????????? ?????????????????????????? ?????????????? ?? In fintech, ?????????? ???????????? often gets the spotlight as a profitability measure, but it doesn’t tell the full story. Unlike SaaS, where variable costs are straightforward (think licenses and hosting), fintech has a web of expenses—interchange fees, clearing costs, underwriting, and compliance — that don’t always scale with revenue. ?? That’s where ???????????????????????? ???????????? comes in. It’s a sharper, more actionable way to measure your business’s true profitability by accounting for all variable costs, even those that might not traditionally fall into COGS. ????????’?? ?????? ???????? ??????????????: ?? ?????????? ???????????? ??????’?? ????????????-????-???????????? Fintechs report revenue differently — gross vs. net, adjusted metrics, etc.? A payments company like Toast includes transaction fees in gross revenue, while Adyen reports on a net basis. These discrepancies make gross margin comparisons unreliable. ?? ?????????????? ?????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ?????????????????????????? As you grow, economies of scale and renegotiated partnerships (e.g., cheaper credit facilities or better revenue share deals) can significantly improve your contribution profit margins. ?? ???????????????????????? ???????????? = ???????????? ?????????????????? When you anchor on contribution profit, you get a clearer picture of unit-level profitability, helping you decide where to invest and how to scale. ?? ???????? ???????????? ???????????????? ????? 1?? Map your variable expenses — even the hidden ones. 2?? Calculate contribution profit for each product line. 3?? Model how your profitability evolves as you scale. 4?? Use this insight to guide strategic decisions. 5?? Educate your team and investors — this is the metric that matters. ?????? ????????????????: The journey to profitability isn’t linear, especially in fintech. But by embracing contribution profit, founders can navigate complexity, communicate effectively with investors, and build stronger, scalable businesses. Learn more from Eric Kaplan and Charles Birnbaum about contribution profit and how it applies to fintech businesses: https://lnkd.in/gJPJFCW4 Are you building a fintech business? Share how you measure your business — share your thoughts in the comments. ?? #fintech #entrepreneurship #startup #growth #monday

New The Heart of Healthcare Podcast! Steve Kraus talks healthcare investing with GeneDx CEO Katherine Stueland. They discuss: — How exome and genome sequencing are transforming rare disease diagnosis — The evolution from single-gene patents to comprehensive genomic analysis — The one-in-four chance of genetic disorders in NICU babies — How GeneDx provides rapid genetic testing results to help families end their diagnostic odyssey Listen: https://lnkd.in/g7xKdqB8

Being a CEO is one of the most demanding roles out there, Maria Colacurcio tells us. It’s a journey full of wins, losses, and relentless challenges. ???? But here's a dose of reality: success at work means little if it comes at the cost of your health and personal life. In this conversation, the CEO of Syndio shares how ???????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ???????????????? ???????? ?????? ?????? — ???? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ????. ?? "My husband and I compete in grueling fitness races, and while our garage is lined with first-place flags, it’s the second-place one that motivates me most. It’s a constant reminder: ???????????? ?????????? ???????? ????????????????," Maria shares. ?? But resilience isn’t just for the race track or the boardroom. Leading a company while staying present for my family is the ultimate test of endurance and balance. According to the experts at Exos, ???????? ?????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ???????????????? ?????????? ????????: So, Maria asks herself these questions daily: ? Am I showing up as the kind of leader my team can emulate? ? Am I modeling the life I want my children to see? Because, as she shares, at the end of the day, building a great company isn’t enough if your family feels left behind. ???? ????????’?? ?????? ?????????????? ???????????????? ?????? ???????????? ????????: ?????????? ???????????? ????????????. ? ? Are you investing your time in what truly matters? ? Are you aligned with your personal and professional North Stars? Success is about more than hitting KPIs—it’s about writing a story where both your business and your relationships thrive. So, what’s your North Star? How do you balance ambition with intention? Get leadership advice from a gold medalist, NFL star, and two high-growth CEOs. ?? https://lnkd.in/gSRTW9eG Want to join STRIVE? Sign up here >> https://www.bvp.com/strive

Shares of Snowflake continued to rally after blowing away Wall Street with its third quarter earnings report. The company also reported a partnership with AI company Anthropic. "It is good to see Snowflake back on offense," said Byron Deeter from Bessemer Venture Partners, an investor in Anthropic. "This partnership is one that we will see replicated across many of the incumbents as they try to leverage their platform and data assets to be a first mover in the AI wave."

??? ?????????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????????????????????????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????? ???????????? ??????????????????????. ??? Take our roadmap on the market opportunity — Michael Droesch, Aia Sarycheva, and Libbie Frost fed our report to ???????????????????? and it gave us — ?????? ?????????????? ???? — an AI-generated podcast all about multimodal innovation. Give the first 10 minutes a listen??? — or dive into our full report to get the full episode. ?? https://lnkd.in/g_yWx7-x ?? ?? ?????? ?????????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ??????????????????: 1?? ???????????????????????? ???????????????? ??????????????????????????: Voice AI enables natural, human-like conversations, eliminating outdated IVR systems and long wait times. It's meeting rising customer expectations while scaling to handle demand anytime. 2?? ?????? ???????????? ???? ??????????????: With breakthroughs in speech-native models and multimodal AI, we're seeing ultra-low latency, emotional nuance, and real-time conversational capabilities that rival human interactions. 3?? ?????????????? ???????????? ??????????????????????: Industries like healthcare, logistics, and home services rely on phone-based communication — and Voice AI is helping businesses answer more calls, close more deals, and deliver better customer experiences. 4?? ?????????????? ???? ??????-????????????????????: The bar for Voice AI adoption is high. Reliable, production-grade solutions with low churn and high self-serve resolution rates are critical to success. 5?? ?????????? ???? ???????????? ?????????????? & ????????????????????: From sales calls to insurance negotiations, Voice AI isn’t just improving processes—it’s creating new revenue streams and unlocking business potential across industries. Are you building in voice AI? Say hi in the comments! ?#ai #vc #startups #entrepreneurship #generativeai

?????? ???????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????????????? ?? And remember — "excellence is not an act, but a habit." But how do founders and CEOs ???????????????????? ???????????????? that set them up for success in the chaos of building a startup and leading a team? The truth is that routines improve your performance, protect your time, strengthen your boundaries, and boost your team’s productivity. And delegating effectively starts with managing yourself. ??♀? Want to build a regimen that works with your brain, not against it? ?????????? ?????? ???? ???????????????? ????????????????, ??????????????, ?????? ???????????????? ???? ???????????? ?????????????????????? ???????????? ???????? ??????????. ?? Read on to learn more about building a regimen that works for you?? https://lnkd.in/gjjd7gc9 #Leadership #Habits #Startups #Regimen #STRIVE

Q: How ambitious should your 2025 revenue target be? A: Set a revenue target you have a 50% probability of achieving. From Operating Partner Jeff Epstein's experience, a 50-50 win rate motivates teams to achieve peak performance—the optimal balance of risk and reward. It's also a tactic that the late Andy Grove, former Intel CEO, recommended in his classic book High Output Management. Brush up on business operations essentials like these with Bessemer's new SaaS Finance Playbook—a comprehensive strategic planning toolkit for the year ahead. Get Bessemer Venture Partners' and Silicon Valley CFOs' top tactics on: ?? Budgeting ?? Forecasting ?? Hiring for finance ?? Profitability ?? IPOs Sign up below ??